The silence was deafening apart from the ticking of the hand on the clock and the heel of Angelina's shoe hitting the floor as she anxiously bounced her knee.

Her hands were folded in her lap, her eyes fixed on the door in front of her. Thomas was stood up behind her, his eyes watching the clock as it inched it's way towards 12.

The sound of the door handle turning alone made Angelina jump to her feet. It was no more than a second later that Thomas watched as she fell into her brother's arms as he walked through the door, both of them breaking down in tears as they embraced.

Tommy said nothing, he just stayed still, watching the family reunite, only with one man down.

"Thank God, thank God you are alright, Lina."

Lorenzo took his little sisters face in his hands and kissed her forehead before hugging her tightly again. He had been out trying to bring Stefano home safely for days on end, but sadly to no avail.

He was heartbroken about the loss of his brother, but what hurt him even more was the pain he felt knowing Angelina had stood there and watched their brother die. It was a pain that cut Lorenzo deeper than anything he'd ever felt before.

Jude walked into the house after Lorenzo. His clothes were torn, just like Enzo's, his face holding a sorrowful expression.

"I'm so sorry, Lina."

Angelina just nodded, wiping the tears from her face as she hugged Jude. Thomas looked down at his shoes.

"Mr Shelby?"

Tommy looked up from the floor when Lorenzo approached him.

Enzo and Thomas had bad blood previously, not with one another, but their gangs respectively. It was complicated, but after the death of Kimber, it left them in no man's land when it came to picking a side.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Enzo cleared his throat, "For taking care of Angelina. She, she's just a young girl, sometimes I think she should've stayed in Rome," he chuckled.

Thomas smiled slightly, only now noticing how alike Angelina and he brother looked. Both with the same dark, chiselled features and thick Italian accent.

"I'd do anything to protect Angelina, I'm sorry I couldn't have done more for your brother."

Lorenzo inhaled deeply, nodding. He licked his lips, holding out a hand to Thomas.

Tommy looked at Lorenzo's gesture, then over at Angelina and Jude.

The two men shook hands, locking eyes with a smile for the first time.

"A drink!"

Angelina exclaimed, more a statement than a question. She cleared her cheeks from tears once again and made her way over to the kitchen, grabbing four glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

Jude walked over to Tommy and Lorenzo.

"I must get off now."

"No," Angelina stopped pouring the drinks as Tommy started to make a move towards the door, "Please Thomas, stay."

He paused, looking at her and the way her eyes were pleading with him. He then looked at Jude who appeared to be disgruntled at the invitation.

"Alright." Thomas said, nodding.

+

The funeral took place a few days later and the wake was held at The Marquis. Angelina, Lorenzo and the rest of Lorenzo's men attended, as well as Thomas, Arthur and John. Agnes, Charlotte and Ada had also stopped by to pay their respects and have a drink for Stefano.

Angelina approached the three brothers who were keeping to themselves in the back corner of the pub, a sad smile on her face. She was dressed in a black dress, her hair was pin straight, reaching halfway down her back.

Thomas noticed she had no makeup on, either that or she had cried it all off at the service a few hours earlier.

"Thank you for coming."

She hugged John, and then Arthur, who held onto her for a little longer than John had.

"I should've shot the bastard sooner, Lina, I'm so sorry."

Angelina just shook her head, taking Arthur's hands in her own and squeezing them tightly. Thomas wondered if she'd have done that if Arthur's wife was there, he assumed she still would have.

"Don't be sorry, Arthur. Thank you for your bravery."

Arthur nodded shyly, blushing as she looked up at him. She then turned to look at Tommy.

"Come on John, let's get another drink."

Arthur looked at his brother, winking at him subtly as he and John walked away, leaving Angelina and Tommy alone.

"Would you like to go for a walk, Thomas? I could use the fresh air."

Tommy nodded, "Of course," he said, finishing the last of his drink and placing his glass down on the table.

The two of them walked out of the pub into the street. It was a late summer evening and the air was still warm but the sun was just beginning to set, sending a beautiful orange hue across the sky mixed in with the sinking clouds.

Thomas offered Angelina his arm and she accepted, clutching onto him gently. They walked in silence for a while, neither of them feeling the need to speak. Tommy felt tense as they headed towards the docks. It seemed to him as though he messed it up with Angelina every time he opened his mouth, he was afraid of making a mistake again.

"My brother doesn't seem to despise you anymore, Thomas."

He smiled to himself.

"We have a truce now, our families. I spoke to Lorenzo the other day and we both agreed. No more bad blood between us."

"I'm glad."

Angelina looked up at him with a smile. Tommy's heart warmed at the sight. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her smile, but it was a welcomed change to seeing her eyes bloodshot from crying.

"I have something that I'd like to tell you, Angelina, if I may?"

"Of course."

They stopped by the river. Thomas leant forward, resting his arms on the railings alongside the water, staring at his reflection in the black ripples. Angelina stood beside him, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon in the distance.

"You are the single most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on in my life, Angelina. And I fear that I've been too much of a fool, of a coward, to tell you how I really feel about you, and I'm afraid that I might've left it too late."

Angelina turned her head to look at Thomas, only he wouldn't look away from the water in front of them.

"I was engaged to a woman who made me miserable, brought me down, caused me more problems than there was hours in the day. And yet since the day I met you, hard as I might've tried, I haven't been able to get you out of my fuckin' head."

He laughed lightly, looking at Angelina with a smile. Her face was hard to read, but her eyes were urging him to carry on speaking his mind, something she hadn't heard too often from him.

"I got jealous, I'll admit. And I'm sorry for the things I said to you and the way I treated you. It was foolish of me, and I don't like to think of myself as a foolish man."

"What kind of man do you like to think you are?"

Tommy paused, narrowing his eyes as he thought about her question. It was silent apart from the sound of the water hitting the banks and the birds in the trees beside them.

"An honest man. A good, honest man," he inhaled deeply, "But I don't want to lie to you anymore. The things I do, the things me and my family do aren't the same as the men in you'd have known in Rome, but I think you've worked that out yourself already."

"Unfortunately," Angelina said in barely a whisper, "But the men in Rome, they were not like you at all. You are hard to read, Thomas. The men back home made it no secret if they liked me, I would get flowers, necklaces, bottles of expensive wine, all kinds of gifts bought for me, and yet with you? I have no clue. My grandmother used to read people's fortunes, she tried to teach me before she passed, but when I look into your eyes I get no message, I can't read any feelings you have, Tommy."

Thomas smiled, "I think I would've liked your grandmother."

Angelina smiled at the thought of Thomas meeting her grandmother, then about meeting her mother and father. It was a shame they would never meet in this life, but comforting that their paths would cross in another.

"Well since you can't read my mind, I suppose I'll have to tell you myself how I feel."

Thomas gulped as he looked at Angelina. He hair was flowing behind her back in a slight breeze, her cheeks rosy and warm, brighter than he had seen them recently. He hoped she'd found peace in what had happened, and he hoped he could help her on her journey if she hadn't quite got there yet.

"When I look at you, Angelina, I sometimes forget that there's anybody else in the world. It's like I'm looking into your eyes and all I'm seeing is you, no people, no animals, no cars, no guns, no nothing. I only see you. And when I see you with other men, I get a pain in my gut that makes me feel sick. It's like I know you don't belong with them, it's something I feel deep inside of myself. My family come from a line of gypsies, we're taught to channel our feelings in a certain way and listen to our emotions from a young age, but I've not been listening to mine properly until now."

Angelina gazed up at Thomas. She stepped closer to him, parting her lips slightly as she placed her hands on his chest. Angelina thought Thomas was beautiful. His eyes captivated her and the way he would have everybody stare at him everywhere he walked made her so attracted to the power he held, even if it wasn't always for the right reasons.

Thomas placed his hands on Angelina's waist, pulling her body ever so slightly closer to his. Pressing his forehead against hers, he brushed his lips against Angelina's, tensing as he heard her quietly gasp as his touch.

"I've been falling in love with you since I laid eyes on you, and I don't want any man to ever be lucky enough to feel the way I feel when you look at me, Angelina. I worship the fucking ground that you walk on, and I'll give you the life that you deserve. I can bring your happiness back, put that spark back in your eyes that I know I put out. Just give me the chance."